diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f958104..c392902 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ npm-debug.log
 
 #env
 .env
+.DS_Store
diff --git a/structures/DayzRBot.js b/structures/DayzRBot.js
index 2df9c96..e7bdf13 100644
--- a/structures/DayzRBot.js
+++ b/structures/DayzRBot.js
@@ -104,11 +104,11 @@ class DayzRBot extends Client {
   error(Text) { this.logger.error(Text); }
 
   async getDateEST(time) {
-    let t = new Date(); // Get current date (PST)
-    let e = new Date(t.getTime() + 180*60*1000); // Convert to EST to ensure the date is correct for the applied EST time
-    let n = new Date(`${e.getFullYear()}-${e.getMonth()<10?'0':''}${e.getMonth()+1}-${e.getDate()<10?'0':''}${e.getDate()}T${time.split(' ')[0]}`) // Apply given time to EST date
-    let f = new Date(n.getTime() - 180*60*1000) // Convert back to PST
-    return f;
+    let timeArray = time.split(' ')[0].split(':')
+    let t = new Date(); // Get current date & time (UTC)
+    let f = new Date(t.getTime() - 4 * 3600000) // Convert UTC into EST time to roll back the day as necessary
+    f.setUTCHours(timeArray[0], timeArray[1], timeArray[2]);  // Apply the supplied EST time to the converted date (EST is the timezone produced from the Nitrado logs).
+    return new Date(f.getTime() + 4 * 3600000);  // Add EST time offset to return timestamp in UTC
   }
 
   async readLogs(guildId) {
@@ -246,12 +246,12 @@ class DayzRBot extends Client {
       this.databaseConnected = true;
     } catch (err) {
       databaselogs.attempts++;
-      this.error(`Failed to connect to mongodb: attempt ${databaselogs.attempts}`);
+      this.error(`Failed to connect to mongodb (mongodb://${mongoURI.split('@')[1]}/${dbo}): attempt ${databaselogs.attempts} - Error: ${err}`);
       failed = true;
     }
 
     // write JSON string to a file
-    await fs.writeFileSync(dbLogDir, JSON.stringify(databaselogs));
+    fs.writeFileSync(dbLogDir, JSON.stringify(databaselogs));
 
     if (failed) process.exit(-1);
   }
diff --git a/util/NitradoAPI.js b/util/NitradoAPI.js
index d3e95e9..2689713 100644
--- a/util/NitradoAPI.js
+++ b/util/NitradoAPI.js
@@ -3,64 +3,83 @@ const concat = require('concat-stream');
 const { Readable } = require('stream');
 const FormData = require('form-data');
 const fs = require('fs');
+const maxRetries = 5;
+const retryDelay = 5000; // 5 second
 
 module.exports = {
-  
   DownloadNitradoFile: async (client, filename, outputDir) => {
-    const res = await fetch(`https://api.nitrado.net/services/${client.config.Nitrado.ServerID}/gameservers/file_server/download?file=${filename}`, {
-      headers: {
-        "Authorization": client.config.Nitrado.Auth
+    for (let retries = 0; retries <= maxRetries; retries++) {
+      try {
+        const res = await fetch(`https://api.nitrado.net/services/${client.config.Nitrado.ServerID}/gameservers/file_server/download?file=${filename}`, {
+          headers: {
+            "Authorization": client.config.Nitrado.Auth
+          }
+        }).then(response => 
+          response.json().then(data => data)
+        ).then(res => res);
+      
+        const stream = fs.createWriteStream(outputDir);
+        if (!res.data || !res.data.token) {
+          client.error(`Error downloading File "${filename}":`);
+          client.error(res);
+          return -1;
+        }
+        const { body } = await fetch(res.data.token.url);
+        await finished(Readable.fromWeb(body).pipe(stream));
+        return 0;
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (retries === maxRetries) {
+            throw new Error(`Failed to fetch data after ${maxRetries} retries`);
+        }
       }
-    }).then(response => 
-      response.json().then(data => data)
-    ).then(res => res);
-  
-    const stream = fs.createWriteStream(outputDir);
-    if (!res.data || !res.data.token) {
-      client.error(`Error downloading File "${filename}":`);
-      client.error(res);
-      return -1;
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, retryDelay)); // Delay before retrying
     }
-    const { body } = await fetch(res.data.token.url);
-    await finished(Readable.fromWeb(body).pipe(stream));
-    return 0;
   },
 
   HandlePlayerBan: async (client, gamertag, ban) => {
     // get current bans
-    const res = await fetch(`https://api.nitrado.net/services/${client.config.Nitrado.ServerID}/gameservers`, {
-      headers: {
-        "Authorization": client.config.Nitrado.Auth
-      }
-    }).then(response => 
-      response.json().then(data => data)
-    ).then(res => res);
-  
-    let bans = res.data.gameserver.settings.general.bans;
-    if (ban) bans += `\r\n${gamertag}`;
-    else if (!ban) bans = bans.replace(gamertag, '');
-    else client.error("Incorrect Ban Option: HandlePlayerBan");
-
-    const formData = new FormData();
-    formData.append("category", "general");
-    formData.append("key", "bans");
-    formData.append("value", bans);
-    formData.pipe(concat(data => {
-      async function sendList() {
-        await fetch(`https://api.nitrado.net/services/${client.config.Nitrado.ServerID}/gameservers/settings`, {
-          method: "POST",
-          credentials: 'include',
+    for (let retries = 0; retries <= maxRetries; retries++) {
+      try {
+        const res = await fetch(`https://api.nitrado.net/services/${client.config.Nitrado.ServerID}/gameservers`, {
           headers: {
-            ...formData.getHeaders(),
             "Authorization": client.config.Nitrado.Auth
-          },
-          body: data,
-        });
-      }
-      sendList();
-    }));
-  },
+          }
+        }).then(response => 
+          response.json().then(data => data)
+        ).then(res => res);
+      
+        let bans = res.data.gameserver.settings.general.bans;
+        if (ban) bans += `\r\n${gamertag}`;
+        else if (!ban) bans = bans.replace(gamertag, '');
+        else client.error("Incorrect Ban Option: HandlePlayerBan");
 
+        const formData = new FormData();
+        formData.append("category", "general");
+        formData.append("key", "bans");
+        formData.append("value", bans);
+        formData.pipe(concat(data => {
+          async function sendList() {
+            await fetch(`https://api.nitrado.net/services/${client.config.Nitrado.ServerID}/gameservers/settings`, {
+              method: "POST",
+              credentials: 'include',
+              headers: {
+                ...formData.getHeaders(),
+                "Authorization": client.config.Nitrado.Auth
+              },
+              body: data,
+            });
+          }
+          sendList();
+        }));
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (retries === maxRetries) {
+            throw new Error(`Failed to fetch data after ${maxRetries} retries`);
+        }
+      }
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, retryDelay)); // Delay before retrying
+    }
+  },
+  
   /*
     Allows more explicit function names outside this file;
     i.e BanPlayer() & UnbanPlayer() that both call to the 
@@ -68,7 +87,7 @@ module.exports = {
     two whole different functions for each.
   */
 
-  BanPlayer:   async (client, gamertag) => module.exports.HandlePlayerBan(client, gamertag, true),
-  UnbanPlayer: async (client, gamertag) => module.exports.HandlePlayerBan(client, gamertag, false),
-
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    BanPlayer:   async (client, gamertag) => module.exports.HandlePlayerBan(client, gamertag, true),
+    UnbanPlayer: async (client, gamertag) => module.exports.HandlePlayerBan(client, gamertag, false),
+  
+  }
\ No newline at end of file